Guests Without Stress

Over the years, I have collected quite a few books on entertaining. My current "job" is to entertain foreign diplomats, and sometimes this lifestyle gets so hectic, I barely want to pick up a pencil and paper to plan a menu, much less prepare it! I now find myself coming back to this little gem of a book, even when I have time to plan an event from the start. So far, everything I have made has been great, and well-received. The menus are already planned (although I do not adhere to them all of the time--mixing and matching items in the cookbook with my own recipes), and although they are not typical "family dinners," (and I did not expect them to be) they are delicious nonetheless. Some of the foods a little unusual? Yes, but I find my guests really like that. The make-ahead aspect and the countdown menus are real life-savers for me because I can truly open the front door, relaxed and ready to enjoy the evening with my guests! I would definitely buy this book again, and recommend it to others.

I disagree with the premise of the earlier reviewer, who was looking for recipes she could make for her family (including 2 preschoolers)...this is a book for entertaining, so I wasn't looking for recipes that would appeal to kids, necessarily. I was looking for ease and interest, and in that respect, this book was a success. I used 2 of the recipes (Mushroom Bisque and Lamb Packets with Skordalia Sauce) for my first non-family dinner party since my 2 kids were born, and I was really pleased on 2 counts: guests liked the food so much they asked for the recipes, and I *actually could* relax and enjoy my own party. The secret lies in following the authors' "Countdowns" so you can get most of the cooking work done before the day of the party -- something that Gourmet and other food magazines now do. This is a good source of recipes for cooks who like to entertain, if (1) you don't feel the need to make a showy statement with food, and (2) want something a little more special than weeknight family fare.